After hearing from friends how great cruising is, husband and I elected to go on Norwegian's Escape to the Western Caribbean. To celebrate our 50th birthdays and 25th anniversary, we upgraded to (ok, booked) the Haven. It was the best choice of a wonderful week.

I didn't have much time to plan for the trip, a significant problem for me since I'm normally obsessive about this sort of an event. Instead I just worried - I didn't book restaurants months in advance, I had no idea about the entertainment or excursions, tipping was a mystery. In the end, all I needed was my passport, regular clothes (you think you need all beautiful new stuff, but trust me you don't) and a bunch of small bills. Well, the bills were optional but that's just me.

If you are in the Haven, you don't have to worry about booking in advance since they have seats set aside for pretty much everything. They bring you on & off whenever you are ready, so you don't have sweat the embarkation issue. The Haven restaurant was fabulous, so no need to book other restaurants, although we did. The stateroom was lovely, with plenty of space and storage. Loved every bit of it. They provide shampoo that doubles as body wash - it's nice if you aren't particular. You can also take the room phone with you anywhere on the ship, so that your partner can call you if you separate for activities. I didn't learn that one until too late. Read more